Amnesty says world neglects Syrian refugees’ plight

Amnesty International criticised what it said was a dismal global response to the plight of Syrian refugees and urged neighboring countries struggling to cope with the influx of refugees to lift deeply troubling measures designed to keep them out. The human rights organisation said the failure of the international community to adequately fund refugees’ humanitarian needs or to support their host countries through settlement policies has left Syria’s neighbors unable to cope with a devastating effect. Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey say the refugees have severely burdened their respective economies with the international community only paying a fraction of the related costs.

All the main host countries have imposed severe restrictions on the entry of people fleeing the conflict - in many cases these restrictions have all but ended the ability of desperate Syrians to escape the ongoing crisis.

Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General

Amnesty called on host countries to ease rules, saying they should exempt refugees from pre-entry visas or residency requirements. They warned that Syrian refugees faced with reduced assistance and with no prospect of returning home in the near future, were likely to continue to attempt crossing the Mediterranean, the most dangerous sea route for refugees to reach Europe. The group called on host countries as well as Syria’s neighbors to end forcible deportation of Syrians, criticising cases where border officials rejected the entry of stranded refugees.

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